May 24th, 2010
Posted by elaney intern: Reader Ace
The month of May has me thinking about high school graduation. I wonder, if I could go back (aka Henry DeTamble in Time Traveler’s Wife) what advice would I give my teenage self as I set off for college. Here are a few things I came up with, let me know what advice you would give yourself.
College Ace: Do not drink anything red out of a cooler or bathtub.
Avoid guys who were really popular in high school.
Being hungover or wasted is not something to brag about. If you hear a guy doing it, he is lame. If you find yourself doing it, you have become lame.
Most people at your university will not care if you are in a sorority. Try and meet them – they are probably cooler than you. 
April 21st, 2010
Reader EmEmli requested a lil Blind Date advice, and we had to agree that that’s a great idea. Personally, have been on three blind dates (is that a nursery rhyme?) and batting 0. So, while we can’t promise results, we can share what we’ve learned:
The breakdown:
Date 1: very evident it was a mutual disaster for both parties
Date 2: elaney thought it was a love connection and 5 days later facebook suggested he was “In a Relationship” with someone else
Date 3: the blind date thought it was a love connection and elaney thought it was better fodder for a blog post
Tips:
1. Do NOT have too much wine (re: see Date 1 above)
2. Do NOT have no wine
3. Wear something cute, but not polarizing. You don’t want to wear your preppiest / hippiest / most revealing / least revealing outfit, just wear the kind of thing men understand.
4. Don’t talk a lot and try to be kind of mysterious. Make eyes and ask lots of questions.
5. Order meat, but nothing too expensive.
6. Don’t ask too much about his job – apparently men hate this (who knew?).
7. Smile a lot and laugh at his jokes. Unless you’re really funny, don’t even try.
8. And of course, be yourself!! (but…just the good parts of you).
That’s all we’ve got, and apparently we need help too. Love to hear your suggestions!!
July 10th, 2009
You asked, here we go:
how about “solving the text message/email centered relationship conundrum?” what is with technology obsessed boys that hide behind their blackberries and dont take girls on real dates or make actual phone calls anymore? is this okay?
Well, sometimes you just have to lay it out there, so here we go. The short answer is no. Now, everyone has their own code, but this is what we think (feel free to share your comments):
1. A guy needs to call you if he wants to take you on a date. If he doesn’t call, it means he doesn’t really care or that he’s not that interested. Like your momma told you, if a guy likes you, he calls. [sidebar: It is not okay for a girl to call a guy (unless returning a phone call) into well into a relationship.]
2. YES! Guys need to take girls on dates, and if a guy doesn’t take you on a proper date (if you are in your twenties), ladies – don’t humor his text message courtship.
3. It is okay for a guy to email to try to get to know a girl, but it is not an acceptable way to ask a girl on a date. If it is a second date (or later), you can ask a girl on a date via email if you have tried to call and ended up playing phone tag.
4. Text message / facebook / gchat are not acceptable ways to ask someone out. Not only does it make the girl feel like you are not worth the cost of the mani / pedi and spray tan, it’s incredibly difficult to decipher your intentions. Plus, it makes you look insecure.
5. Guys have all the initiating power. Period. So if a guy takes a girl out, we think it’s appropriate for the guy to be intentional and act interested.
Okay readers – let’s hear your thoughts!
September 5th, 2008
Okay girls and guys. It’s Friday. Work is lame. We want to try something fun today, where you can ask elaney anything (feel free to post under an anonymous name), and we will get the answers you need. Topics can range from “elaney, why are macs better than pc’s?” (because they look cooler, duh) to “elaney, what should I get my gf for her bday?” (something pretty and shiny that you get behind the counter) to “elaney, can I come work at your company?” (sure! we will pay you triple our salary and give you 1/2 the proceeds).
We think this could be fun dear readers, so ask away!!
March 19th, 2008
Friends, Romans, Countrymen, advice to the wise: be very diplomactic in your work disagreements. We’ve all had one or two, but CNN offers some helpful advice in dealing with them.
February 23rd, 2008
This was originally posted on January 1, 2008, but it’s a crowd favorite and we wanted to share it again.
I have quite a few New Year’s Resolutions this year. From standard “exercise 5 days a week” and “take more pictures,” to “move out of my parents house and never return for real this time.” But whether you feel you want to improve upon, I offer one word of advice:
Whether you are an artist or a student or a writer or a dancer or a singer or a thinker or a runner or a dreamer, paint and work and write and dance and sing and think and run and dream as if your life depends on it. Because it does. The talents we are given that we foolishly waste are precious gifts that should be fostered, protected, and developed. Developed and shared with the world…
